CPI-M condemns 'communalisation' of young minds in Rajasthan

New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) The CPI-M on Monday condemned the “communalsiation” of education in Rajasthan and urged the Central government to stop states from fairs such as the “Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair” being held in Jaipur.

“The CPI-M strongly condemns the outrageous directions issued by the Rajasthan Minister for Primary and Secondary Education according to which the students of all government and private schools in Jaipur have been asked to get their students to attend the five-day ‘Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair’ being held in the state capital,” the party said.

“This fair has stalls like that of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) which are distributing pamphlets against ‘love jehad’, accusing Muslim men of ‘ensnaring’ Hindu women, describing places where such ‘ensnaring may take place’,” it added.

According to media reports, the VHP’s stall has been giving away pamphlets on “love jihad” which talk of actors Saif Ali Khan and Aamir Khan divorcing their Hindu wives and then again “ensnaring” Hindu women.

The pamphlets point out places where “love jihad” takes place such as beauty parlours, mobile recharge shops, ladies’ tailors and Muslim hawkers. They say offering a seat on the bus to Hindu women by Muslim men is “one of the tactics used by jihadis”.

Another pamphlet deals with the alleged “controversial” activities of Christian missionaries.

It says three lakh propagators, who receive thousands of crores from Europe and the US, have helped make Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh Christian-majority states.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist said that “the fact that a constitutional government has given permission for holding such a fair” is in itself “highly objectionable”.

“That it is actually making it mandatory for school children to attend the fair and be exposed to the propagation of hatred for minority communities is completely unacceptable.

“The CPI-M demands that the central and state governments must not permit the holding of such fairs,” the Left party said.